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General Information
- Instructor: Dr Matthew Qitao TAN
- Department: Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Subject: Biomechanics
- Class Size: 59
- Students: Year 3 BME student
Why Use the Flipped Classroom Approach?
Matthew adopted the flipped classroom approach in his biomechanics course for three primary reasons. Firstly, the course content was too extensive to cover within the limited class time, and students struggled to understand the learning materials in depth. Secondly, low student attendance emerged as a pressing issue. Matthew observed that lecturing directly from the textbook bored students during the class. By the end of the class, the attendance rate fell below 50%. Thirdly, Matthew aimed to encourage students to learn actively for better learning outcomes. He believed that requiring students to study materials through pre-class slides and videos fostered proactive learning. By implementing the flipped classroom approach, Matthew addressed the problem of class time constraints, improved attendance rate, and created a more dynamic, student-centred class learning environment.
Implementation Steps
Matthew organised his teaching materials into PowerPoint slides and uploaded them to Blackboard. The complete set consisted of 60-80 slides, with the anatomy section comprising approximately 20-30 slides.
Matthew used Kahoot, a game-based learning platform, to conduct quizzes for students and assess their self-directed learning outcomes. He also selected relevant online videos as supplementary learning resources. For the lab session, Matthew prepared pre-recorded videos demonstrating experimental procedures. By watching these materials beforehand, students could start their experiments promptly and smoothly when they attend the class in person.
Pre-class activity
Before each class, students were required to learn the knowledge from the slides and videos to prepare for the in-class assessments. This self-directed learning phase was crucial for ensuring students were ready to engage with the interactive activities planned for the session.
In-class activity
At the start of the flipped-learning class, Matthew utilised Kahoot games to test how well the students had studied the materials independently. The quizzes primarily included selecting the correct bone in several pictures and matching the bone with the corresponding joints through a drag-and-drop method. By reviewing the immediate test results from Kahoot, Matthew provided a comprehensive overview of the key knowledge points and addressed common questions or misconceptions that emerged on the spot. He then introduced practical clinical applications or real-world cases to further elaborate on the key concepts and areas where students struggled on the tests. In these activities, students were required to apply the knowledge gained from pre-class learning materials to analyse real-life situations. Following this, Matthew asked students to perform biomechanical calculations to deepen their understanding and application of the material. Occasionally, he posed topic-specific questions and invited volunteers to present answers through peer review or group discussion. The final 30 minutes of each class were dedicated to an open consultation period, allowing students to ask their queries.
For the lab session, Matthew scheduled ten groups of five to six students each to conduct experiments in consecutive time slots. As students familiarised the procedures through pre-recorded instructional videos, each group commenced experimental procedures promptly and smoothly, significantly enhancing overall efficiency.
Post-class activity
Post-class activities included assignments that reinforced in-class learning. While they were to be completed independently, Matthew actively encouraged students to discuss ideas and problem-solving strategies with group members, promoting a collaborative learning environment.
What Impact Did This Have on Student Learning?
To evaluate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom approach, Matthew conducted face-to-face interviews with more than half of the students to gather their feedback. The responses were overwhelmingly positive; students noted that the lectures were significantly more engaging because the focus shifted away from reading directly from slides. They specifically appreciated the opportunity to apply the subject knowledge to solve real-world problems. Through pre-class independent study of foundational theories and these in-depth case discussions, students identified knowledge gaps more accurately. With guided instruction and Q&A support, they established a systematic cognitive framework and developed a deeper understanding of the discipline.
Consequently, attendance rates and classroom engagement have rebounded markedly after implementing the flipped classroom approach. On the one hand, students were well-prepared for class. By studying materials before class, they felt confident to join discussions and participate in the opening gamified assessments instead of just passively listening, making classes highly attended and interactive. On the other hand, in-class time was focused on teamwork and application. Analysing clinical scenarios or discussing real-world cases made the classroom atmosphere more active.
What Are the Good Practices That Can Be Learnt from This Case?
For the toy penalty game to the latecomer, Matthew introduced a crocodile toy penalty game for late students who had to answer questions if they lost the game. The integration of playful interactive games made the classroom atmosphere relaxing and lively. For the Pre-class quizzes, Matthew used the Kahoot platform to create gamified tests. These quizzes reinforced self-learning outcomes, further boosting class engagement and fostering positive learning attitudes of students. These gamified interactions ease embarrassment through shared laughter while dissolving classroom tension at the beginning of class. In all, gamified interactions created a low-pressure, highly interactive environment and improved student engagement in classes.
Leveraging an incentive to stimulate students' motivation in learning
Matthew linked Kahoot quiz scores to final grades, which is a good incentive to motivate students for pre-class learning. The top 10% of students in the pre-quizzes can earn one bonus grade. Students showed enthusiasm about the Kahoot quiz, with many describing the quiz as interesting. This visible incentive motivated students’ interest in learning, fostering their intrinsic interest.
Integrating real-world cases into classes to improve the problem-solving abilities of students
Matthew selected many real-world cases to explain the complex concepts and the solutions to solving biomechanical problems in reality. By integrating real-world cases into classes, students developed strong problem-solving skills for actual biomechanical problems. This way bridged the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, enabling students to contextualise biomechanical knowledge within authentic scenarios for deep understanding.
What Were the Challenges Encountered During the Implementation and What Solutions Were Used?
Lack of motivation in a small group of students
A small percentage of students demonstrated low performance in both pre-quizzes and in-class engagement. These students lacked the motivation to complete pre-class activities, such as reviewing slides and taking tests. Consequently, they were less involved in discussions and showed low engagement during class due to inadequate preparation. This made it increasingly difficult for them to adapt to the flipped classroom format.
To help these students keep up with the learning progress in flipped learning, Matthew plans to implement two methods in his next subject. On the one side, he will restructure pre-class tasks and break down core concepts into step-by-step micro-lecture videos. Each video will be followed by three mandatory basic questions to ensure students acquire a basic grasp of the knowledge before entering the classroom. On the other side, Matthew will also implement early intervention by tracking pre-class quiz scores in real-time. Students exhibiting sustained low engagement every two weeks will be flagged for one-on-one consultations. These informal dialogues, to be conducted in a relaxed atmosphere, will aim to identify individual learning barriers, enabling Matthew to adjust task difficulty and allocate targeted support resources.
